Ca Ira
by Wildfire Fenrir
Summary: Ca ira, ca ira, it'll all be fine. Ruby kept thinking it was all alright. Until she runs out of her pills. Then the nightmares, the voices, the pain returns. She was happy in her room with her little tinker tools, so why did it always seem like a prison? Alternate Post-Volume 3 route. Two endings.
1. Ca Ira

_**Notes:**_

This is going to be a lot darker than what I've written before. Consider it practice for Rose Colored Diamonds. Also note, this takes place in an alternate timeline post Volume 3. Maybe a year or two after. This is going to be really a one shot, or a two, if you don't like bad ends. I'll have the good end up, but I feel like the Bad End first is more true to my original concept.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights and properties belong to RoosterTeeth.

* * *

 _ **Ca Ira**_

* * *

Ruby jolted awake, looking around her sparse room. She wiped the sweat off her brow, checking the time. It was midday. What was she doing to fall asleep…?

The dreams were returning. They'd resurge every month or so. Just a little tingling thing left behind in her mind. Unfamiliar faces, unfamiliar voices. She looked down at the desk in front of her.

Metal bits and pieces littered the table she was sleeping on. A hollowed out radio laid off to the side.

Right. She was working on taking apart a radio that needed repair. Something had jostled the insides, and since she was a great tinker, she took it home to work on it. Ruby looked at the scattered parts, trying to figure out what was where. Her hands brushed against a solid metal piece that was put together on the side.

Ruby picked it up and examined it. It was an innocent looking rod with a blocky thing on the top. She flicked it lightly, like a magic wand, and the thing unfolded smoothly into…a sickle? A scythe?

It looked familiar. As if she had known it at one point. Something Crescent…?

A sharp pain jolted through her head and she immediately dropped the toy scythe. She rubbed the sides of her head, her vision swimming in colors as the pain surged through her skull. Ruby nearly passed out from the agony, and her head dropped heavily onto the desk.

She grasped out to find something that could help. Her hands reached out hungrily, looking for something. Her fingers wrapped around a small tube. She looked at it blearily.

Her headache medicine. Her doctor had prescribed it to her when she complained to him about constant headaches. That was a few months ago, and these things were doing their job well enough. But to her dismay, the bottle was empty. She shook it in frustration before pushing herself up to try and stand.

Ruby toppled over and dropped the empty bottle. The hard plastic clattered away as she lost vision and passed out.

* * *

 _"_ _Little Sis, get up."_ Ruby blinked a little. The white floors glowed from the stark white fluorescent light above her. That little voice was back in her head. _"It's time to wake up."_

She felt something cast a shadow over her face, as if something moved to block the light between them. Ruby opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. Her vision met with a blinding ray of gold, and she could see some kindness in the woman's lilac eyes.

"What are you doing on the floor? Ruby! Are you okay?" She blinked again and the woman was gone. The tingling sensation in the back of her head was back, and she fought to keep her brain intact.

"I'm…I'm okay." She looked at the bunny girl that helped her up. "Velvet. What happened?"

"I was going to ask you. You missed today's meeting. I wasn't sure what was up, so I came to find you. What happened?"

"I…I think I just passed out." Ruby muttered. She looked around her room. The toy scythe and parts were still scattered all over her desk and floor. Was her room always so grey? Velvet helped her up and Ruby rubbed her pounding head.

"Ruby, what were you doing? What's this?" Velvet bent over and picked up the toy scythe. "You know we're not supposed to make stuff like this!"

"I…I know. I don't know why…" Ruby looked at the rusty scythe, made of cobbled together parts from the radio. "Sorry, I was…fixing this." She pointed at the rusty steel bits and generic brown radio.

Velvet sighed. "That's alright. Just make sure you take it apart before the director comes. He will be absolutely livid." Velvet pat Ruby on her head, causing it to hurt a little more from the small bit of pressure. The two looked around the room a little more. "Oh, the meeting!"

"What…what did I miss?" Ruby asked.

 _"_ _Everything's gone to hell. Get out of here!"_ She jumped when she heard a voice practically scream in her ear. Velvet raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing. Just the usual! The breach is contained. The walls are secure. No need to go out to work today." Velvet smiled cheerfully at her partner. Her eyes wandered idly, "We're pretty much free to do whatever to…day…?" Velvet bent over and picked up the dropped prescription bottle. "Ruby. Why is there a bottle on the floor?"

"Huh? OH…uh…my…medicine?" Ruby narrowed her eyes on the green tinted bottle.

 _"_ _More like poison. Don't take that stuff!"_ The voice whispered to her ear, causing Ruby to turn around to look at the origin. She felt a sharp pulse in her head, and Velvet put a hand on her shoulder.

"Now, Ruby, what have I told you about staying topped off on medicine?"

"I…Sorry Vel. I kinda forgot. I was doing something when I was supposed to and I forgot to refill it." Velvet handed her the empty bottle.

"Well that just won't do. You know Doctor Uragan will be disappointed in you. I know he punished me pretty hard when I forgot to refill my Bopleca pills!" Ruby could hear how unnervingly cheerful she was about being "punished." Who would get excited about punishment? "Go on, I'll help pick up here. You should go talk to the doctor!" Velvet pushed Ruby gently along and out the door.

Before Ruby could say anything, Velvet had quickly shut the door behind her. Ruby shrugged and turned to look down the halls. Ruby trudged forward reluctantly, fighting the urge to collapse again. She just didn't feel all together.

* * *

The drab grey walls were lined with long rectangular pictures. She was used to seeing them every day. Velvet once said that they were all holographic, and changed regularly. She usually dismissed them on her way to meetings. Ruby idly looked around as she walked, looking at the various pictures today.

 _"_ _Tell me what you see, and I'll show you what you actually see."_ One of the voices returned and whispered in her ear, causing her to stop. Ruby clutched her head in pain. Again, with the pain. These stupid voices...

She ignored the voice and kept walking, albeit slowly. Ruby kept her eyes to the floor out of habit, especially since she was visiting the medical wing. She _really_ didn't like talking to Doctor Uragan and Doctor Smerch. Even Doctor Grele, who was nicer than the other two, was sometimes very _odd_.

 _"_ _Tell me, Sis, what do you see?"_ Ruby fell forward onto her knees, clutching the searing pain. Her sight went white for a minute as the intense shock went through it. She felt a warm hand gently touch her on the head, and the headache slowly went away. She looked up to see a swish of gold and white, before she blinked again. _"Better? Go on, Ru."_

Ruby listened to the gentle, caring voice and pushed herself up. She turned her head to face the closest picture, deciding to oblige the little voice before it decides to hit her again with a headache.

The picture featured a young man with blonde hair. He was in the middle of painting something on a canvas. His room was filled with canvases, both discarded and fresh. She couldn't quite see what it was, due to him standing in front of it. She looked at the sign on the bottom: EXNM-JA2401. Ruby didn't look too amused. "S'just a picture of a dude painting." Then she realized it was _moving_.

The young man slowly dragged the brush across the canvas. The deep red lines on the canvas formed slowly, as he almost reluctantly drew them out in practiced fashion. Ruby watched the picture move a little longer, before the painter angrily grabbed a can of paint by his feet and splashed it all over his newest work. He angrily grabbed the canvas and threw it down, his shoulders rising and lowering slowly as he took deep breaths to calm himself.

 _"_ _He doesn't deserve this…"_ The gentle voice came back, causing Ruby to recoil back in pain. She stumbled and caught herself on the opposite wall, blinking away the sudden headache. She looked back at the window. Wait, window?

The painter was huddled in a corner, rocking himself back in forth. His bloodshot eyes were focused on the discarded, ruined portrait he had been working on. In the messy room, Ruby could make out a beautiful woman with brilliant red hair and a bronze headpiece. She tried to put a name to the face, but any tries simply gave her more head pain. Places not occupied by paint cans and canvases were splattered in various hues of paint.

"Ruby, now what are you doing out here…?" She looked up at a woman with bubblegum pink hair. She had a light accent, wore a pristine white lab coat, and carried a small tablet. The tall woman pushed up her glasses and gave her a friendly smile.

"Oh. Doctor Grele…uhm…I was on the way to the medical wing…" She held up the empty bottle.

"Ah, mon cher, you're supposed to keep on top of these things. Il est malsain. Um, to not be topped off on your medicine. I can't imagine your headache right now." The doctor smiled kindly and offered her hand. "Come with me, little Rose."

Ruby nodded, "You don't need to hold my hand."

"Ah, of course. Come along then. Quickly before Uragan makes his rounds." Ruby followed the tall doctor down the hall. Ruby kept her eyes on the floor, focusing on following doctor Grele along. "And how are you feeling today?"

"Uh…just headaches. A lot of them." She looked up briefly and saw Grele nod briefly. Ruby didn't say, but she could feel this... _air of malice_ around her.

Ruby could feel her head quietly pounding away, like a jackhammer on concrete. Every time she blinked, the environment changed. Most of the time, everything was a pristine, science lab white. But just sometimes…walls looked like they were falling apart. It wasn't everywhere. Small panels that were rusted, doors that were ajar, and she was almost _certain_ there was a leaking ceiling.

Without any further questions or conversations, the two entered an examination room. "Ah, here we are. Why don't you have a seat over there…?" Doctor Grele pointed to an empty chair by the main desk. She went to the back storage room that the examination rooms were connected to. Ruby looked around the room while waiting for the doctor.

 _"_ _Stop refusing to see. Why can't you open your eyes?"_ Ruby grit her teeth and endured the headache.

Everything seemed clean for the most part. However, she did notice a few odd things standing out. The desk was rather messy, with notes scattered all over the place. The posters weren't the health warnings or tips that she had grew accustomed to seeing when she visited. They looked more like propaganda posters.

Ruby squinted, and she could swear that the glass cabinets that hung above a counter was filled with jars of preserved organs.

Her eyes wandered from the counter to the left and looked at the…bed. The examination bed that she laid on before had turned into an interrogation table. Leather straps on the top and bottom to restrain patients. A large collection of tools on a moving mechanical arm hung limply off to the side. Above the "examination" table was a single very bright lamp. The once pristine tiles around the bed were permanently stained a dark red from the blood the troughs on the side failed to catch.

She stood up from her seat in disbelief, turning to see the "chair" she had been sitting on was designed for interrogation. Leather straps and various tools hung around the black chair.

She stared slack jawed at the table. Thoughts, memories, _terror_ came flooding back to her.

Ruby _remembered_. Who she was, where she was… _everything_.

Being strapped down to the table. Doctor Grele standing above her with a wicked smile.

The whirling of the drills and tools. The pain. The agony.

The suffering of being unable to do anything.

The screams. The cruel, inhumane laughter. The sight of her friends getting tortured in front of her as she sat helpless.

The blood. Oh sweet Oum, _the blood._

 _"_ _Don't trust her. I'm tellin' you sis."_ The voice returned. This time much louder. The pounding in Ruby's head began again, this time as if it was back with a vengeance. Ruby put a hand on her head and leaned forward in pain. She felt her knees give away and she tumbled forward, landing on the cold tile floor.

 _"_ _Get up and run while you can!"_ Ruby grit her teeth and pushed herself up.

"Mh…" She heard Doctor Grele's sing-songy voice say behind her. "Donc, il est vrai. You have been ignoring your medication…oh, but for how long?" Ruby looked up at the doctor from the floor. Doctor Grele's bubblegum pink pony tail was now a grey one. Her pristine lab coat and scientist outfit had acquired a lot more red stains, and the bottom hem of her coat had frayed to nonexistence. The ragged look matched the wicked, psychopathic grin that stretched across the woman's face.

Her once beautiful features were marred with scars and lacerations; most prominently the massive scar on her lower left jaw. Ruby recognized the scar – she had given it to her when she shot the doctor in the face. The bullet had torn open her jaw.

"Y-you…you're…" The doctor clapped her hands together and hummed.

"Ah, Ça ira. Ça ira. It will be fine…let the good doctor take care of you little girl." Doctor Grele pulled out a capped syringe from her coat. "Everything will be _fine_. Oui?" Ruby backed away as she pulled the safety cap off. "Now, now, don't be naughty. Uragan and Smerch will be _very_ disappointed in you."

 _"_ _GET AWAY FROM HER!"_ The voice in her head shouted. Through the blistering pain, Ruby found a flame in her heart. She felt her latent semblance activate – speed.

She burst forward, roughly tackling the woman and slamming her into the wall with all her speed. Doctor Grele grunted and dropped the syringe. Ruby scrambled off her and picked up the syringe. With a warcry, she jammed the syringe into Grele's exposed neck, pushing the purple contents quickly into her.

Doctor Grele struggled to fight off the younger girl. Ruby held her still as the needle's contents worked its sick magic, and Grele's eyes emptied. Her arms went slack and her head lolled onto the right, her eyes drained of energy. Ruby backed off and stared at the doctor.

Ruby pushed open the door to the hall and looked around. The "medical wing" was brightly lit, but the walls and floor were covered in debris or fluids of questionable origin. She heard a howl of anger and turned around.

At the end of the hallway, opposite of the path to her room, stood an absolutely _huge_ beowolf. The monster's piercing grey eyes bored into her soul, as it pointed at her with a wicked claw. "You, child. I should have dealt with you." The deep, gravel like voice roared. "But Marie wanted to play with you."

"Doctor Uragan…you're…what _are you_?!" Ruby called out, stepping back.

 _"_ _Shut up and run, you idiot!"_ A voice cried out.

The thing didn't deign her a response, and simply charged through the hallway. The massive half man, half grimm sprinted _through_ obstacles to get to Ruby, knocking over benches, debris, whatever was in the way to get to her. She didn't stay still long. With another burst of speed, Ruby disappeared down the halls.

* * *

Ruby sprinted toward her room. She needed to find _something_ to fight him with. If she was going to fight at all.

 _"_ _Probably not. I don't normally say this but…"_ A little voice in her head spoke. _"Just run!"_

The sudden pain from the voice jolted her out of her attention, causing her to slip on a puddle of water. Ruby tumbled hard and crashed in a heap. She pushed herself up slowly, looking at the pool of water caused by the broken fire suppression system above her.

Her heart sank upon eye contact with her reflection.

Gaunt. Underfed. Exhausted. Her once short hair had grown out to be roughly shoulder length, if not longer. She could see the skin pulled taut around her neck bone. Her already thin features already made her look more like a skeleton than a living being. Ruby felt ill, looking at the malnourished reflection of her own body. She only wore a loosened strait jacket with grey pants.

 **THUMP**

Ruby jumped from her reverie and looked behind her. The distinct crash of doors being smashed open behind her was _not_ a good sign in the least.

She pushed herself off the floor quickly and looked around. Ruby bolted into an empty room. It was some kind of derelict locker room, which Ruby was thankful for. She pulled open one of the furthest ones and quietly closed it with a soft creak.

Ruby jumped when she heard a crash outside in the hallway. The low growl of a predator on the move echoed into her room. It was joined by another one. Ruby huddled at the bottom of the locker, and closed her eyes. She held onto her head, as if she was trying to make herself disappear into nothingess.

"You let her get away? The queen will be displeased." She heard a slightly higher pitch voice growl. She could recognize it as the warped voice of "doctor" Smerch.

"Shut up." Uragan growled back. "She's here. I don't see why we need to keep her alive." Ruby could swear she heard the soft padding footsteps enter the room.

Smerch chuckled, "Why brother, if I did not know better, I would think you simply enjoy hanging rebels in public forum. You know how well that worked last time." Uragan growled at him again, "Why, remember that long legged blonde? The one with the riding crop? You seemed to enjoy being…smacked around by her." Some more shuffling as the two monsters moved.

Ruby's blood turned to ice as she listened. "Do not speak of her." Uragan roared at his brother, " _YOU_ messed up that trap." A sharp SLAP rang out in the empty halls, and Uragan's gravel like voice echoed. "YOU. _You dare?!_ I will tear you apart _brother_." Another sharp slap rang out, and Uragan roared.

"Enough of your empty threats. Where is she?" Smerch demanded, his voice hardening to granite. "If you had lost the _figurehead_ of the resistance…well…"

 _Resistance…_

That's right. She was part of the resistance that opposed Cinder and her master's plan. She had been caught along with Velvet, Jaune, and some others trying to…something about assassinating a scientist working for Cinder? She racked her aching brain for more details.

How long ago was that? She had lost track of time since her captivity started. Even more so when the torture started.

Ruby was jolted out of her thoughts when the locker door she had been hiding behind was forcibly pried open. Uragan ripped the door off the hinges and tossed it aside, causing Ruby to jump at the loud metal clatter.

Uragan swiftly snatched Ruby by her throat, holding her up in a death grip. He lifted her light frame up with ease, and glared at her. His piercing eyes felt like they bored holes into her skull. " _You have been causing a lot of trouble little one."_

Ruby struggled in his grip, as Uragan slowly tightened his hold, "But…" Uragan looked at Smerch for confirmation, "You don't die today…" Ruby's vision swam as the werewolf suffocated her. She couldn't even make the breath to scream.

 _"_ _Hold on a little longer, sis. Please! Just a little longer."_ The word 'longer' echoed in her mind as she blacked out.

* * *

Ruby jolted awake, looking around her sparse room. She wiped the sweat off her brow, checking the time. It was still midday.

Metal bits and pieces littered the table she was sleeping on. A hollowed out radio laid off to the side.

Right. She was working on taking apart a radio that needed repair. Something had jostled the insides, and since she was a great tinker, she took it home to work on it.

Ruby looked at the scattered parts, trying to figure out what was where. Her hands brushed against a solid metal piece that was put together on the side.

Ruby picked it up and examined it. It was an innocent looking rod with a blocky thing on the top. She flicked it lightly, like a magic wand, and the thing unfolded smoothly into…a sickle? A scythe?

A sharp pain jolted through her head and she immediately dropped the toy scythe. She rubbed the sides of her head, her vision swimming in colors as the pain surged through her skull. Ruby nearly passed out from the agony, and her head dropped heavily onto the desk.

She grasped out to find something that could help. Her bruised and bandaged hands reached out hungrily, looking for something. Her fingers wrapped around a small tube. She looked at it blearily.

 _"_ _Fight it, sis."_ A voice cried from insider her head. With one hand on her head, she clutched onto the bottle tightly. She fought the ingrained, muscle memory of picking up the bottle and taking a pill.

 _"_ _Don't. You'll forget!"_ Her vision blurred as the searing pain burned through her mind.

 _"_ _Please...please Ruby..."_ Ruby shook out a single grey colored pill and tossed it back, swallowing the bitter headache medicine. The pain subsided almost instantly, and Ruby smiled dully. Doctor Grele's medicine always worked quickly.

Ruby put the bottle back down, looking back at her work.

What was it that Doctor Grele always said? Ah yes.

Ah, Ça ira. Ça ira…It'll be fine.

Ruby went back to work on the radio, humming to herself.

* * *

 **Notes** :

At this point, you're all probably going: dude, you are _screwed in the head_. Well! Let me just say...so is the team behind _We Happy Few_. Great looking game, that is.

To be honest, I got inspiration from watching Achievement Hunter play a little of it. I wasn't interested in gameplay, but the whole notion of an entirely drugged up society ignoring the true problems of the world seemed like a great premise. Joy pills are a crazy drug. In my story, they're Blopeca pills. I might bring them back in other writings. Seem too _interesting_ to just leave in a one/twoshot.

So I translated it over. It's a little messed up to use Ruby, I admit, since she's the youngest and the most innocent of the entire group. But I think it worked out. I combined that with the french saying "Ca Ira" which comes from the French Revolutionary anthem Ah! Ca Ira. I've always wanted to have a crazy _French_ doctor instead of a crazy German one. Mix that in with an idea that Ruby and some others were captured, and well...this happens.

I should note, I really don't particularly like downer endings. I actually _have_ an alternate (happier) ending for this. I'll probably throw it up alongside, in case people don't like bad endings.

This was very different for me to write, since I'm so used to writing action/slice of life. To be honest, I'm not sure if this is even any good.

But I hope you as readers enjoyed this.


	2. It Will Be Fine

_**Notes:**_

Well, here's the good ending. It's a little longer than the bad ending, mainly due to the nature of how it ends on a good note. If you weren't happy about the bad ending, then hopefully the good end is more your cup of tea! You'll probably see some minor differences (in the parts prior to the divergence). Forgive me. I tend to forget to update both documents at the same time when I write.

Disclaimer: RWBY's rights and properties belong to RoosterTeeth.

* * *

 _ **Ca Ira**_

* * *

Ruby jolted awake, looking around her sparse room. She wiped the sweat off her brow, checking the time. It was still midday. What was she doing to fall asleep…?

The dreams were returning. They'd resurge every month or so. Just a little tingling thing left behind in her mind. Unfamiliar faces, unfamiliar voices. She looked down at the desk in front of her.

Metal bits and pieces littered the table she was sleeping on. A hollowed out radio laid off to the side.

Right. She was working on taking apart a radio that needed repair. Something had jostled the insides, and since she was a great tinker, she took it home to work on it. Ruby looked at the scattered parts, trying to figure out what was where. Her hands brushed against a solid metal piece that was put together on the side.

Ruby picked it up and examined it. It was an innocent looking rod with a blocky thing on the top. She flicked it lightly, like a magic wand, and the thing unfolded smoothly into…a sickle? A scythe?

It looked familiar. As if she had known it at one point. Something Crescent…? Or was it Crescent…?

A sharp pain jolted through her head and she immediately dropped the toy scythe. She rubbed the sides of her head, her vision swimming in colors as the pain surged through her skull. Ruby nearly passed out from the agony, and her head dropped heavily onto the desk.

She grasped out to find something that could help. Her hands reached out hungrily, looking for something. Her fingers wrapped around a small tube. She looked at it blearily.

Her headache medicine. Her doctor had prescribed it to her when she complained to him about constant headaches. That was a few months ago, and these things were doing their job well enough. But to her dismay, the bottle was empty. She shook it in frustration before pushing herself up to try and stand.

Ruby toppled over and dropped the empty bottle. The hard plastic clattered away as she lost vision and passed out.

* * *

 _"_ _Little Sis, get up."_ Ruby blinked a little. The white floors glowed from the stark white fluorescent light above her. That little voice was back in her head. _"It's time to wake up."_

She felt something cast a shadow over her face, as if something moved to block the light between them. Ruby opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. Her vision met with a blinding ray of gold, and she could see some kindness in the woman's lilac eyes.

"What are you doing on the floor? Ruby! Are you okay?" She blinked again and the woman was gone. The tingling sensation in the back of her head was back, and she fought to keep her brain intact.

"I'm…I'm okay." She looked at the bunny girl that helped her up. "Velvet. What happened?"

"I was going to ask you. You missed today's meeting. I wasn't sure what was up, so I came to find you. What happened?"

"I…I think I just passed out." Ruby muttered. She looked around her room. The toy scythe and parts were still scattered all over her desk and floor. Was her room always so grey? Velvet helped her up and Ruby rubbed her pounding head.

"Ruby, what were you doing? What's this?" Velvet bent over and picked up the toy scythe. "You know we're not supposed to make stuff like this!"

"I…I know. I don't know why…" Ruby looked at the rusty scythe, made of cobbled together parts from the radio. "Sorry, I was…fixing this." She pointed at the rusty steel bits and generic brown radio.

Velvet sighed. "That's alright. Just make sure you take it apart before the director comes. She will be absolutely livid." Velvet pat Ruby on her head, causing it to hurt a little more from the small bit of pressure. The two looked around the room a little more. "Oh, the meeting!"

"What…what did I miss?" Ruby asked.

 _"_ _Everything's gone to hell. Get out of here!"_ She jumped when she heard a voice practically scream in her ear. Velvet raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing. Just the usual! The breach is contained. The walls are secure. No need to go out to work today." Velvet smiled cheerfully at her partner. Her eyes wandered idly, "We're pretty much free to do whatever to…day…?" Velvet bent over and picked up the dropped prescription bottle. "Ruby. What's this?"

"Huh? OH…uh…my…medicine?" Ruby narrowed her eyes on the green tinted bottle.

 _"_ _More like poison. Don't take that medicine!"_ A different voice whispered to her ear, causing Ruby to turn around to look at the origin. She felt a sharp pulse, and Velvet put a hand on her shoulder.

"Now, Ruby, what have I told you about staying on top of things?"

"I…Sorry Vel. I kinda forgot. I was doing something when I was supposed to and I forgot to refill it." Velvet handed her the empty bottle.

"Well that just won't do. You know Doctor Uragan will be disappointed in you. I know he punished me pretty hard when I forgot to refill my Bopleca pills!" Ruby could hear how unnervingly cheerful she was about being "punished." Who would get excited about punishment? "Go on, I'll help pick up here. You should go talk to the doctor!" Velvet pushed Ruby gently along and out the door.

Before Ruby could say anything, Velvet had quickly shut the door behind her. Ruby shrugged and turned to look down the halls. Ruby trudged forward reluctantly, fighting the urge to collapse again. She just didn't feel all together.

* * *

The drab grey walls were lined with long rectangular pictures. She was used to seeing them every day. Velvet once said that they were all holographic, and changed regularly. She usually dismissed them on her way to meetings. Ruby idly looked around as she walked, looking at the various pictures today.

 _"_ _Tell me what you see, and I'll tell you what I see."_ One of the voices returned and whispered in her ear, causing her to stop. Ruby clutched her head in pain. Again, with the pain. These stupid voices...

She ignored the voice and kept walking, albeit slowly. Ruby kept her eyes to the floor out of habit, especially since she was visiting the medical wing. She _really_ didn't like talking to Doctor Uragan and Doctor Smerch. Even Doctor Grele, who was nicer than the other two, was sometimes very _odd_.

 _"_ _Tell me, Sis, what do you see?"_ Ruby fell forward onto her knees, clutching the searing pain. Her sight went white for a minute as the intense shock went through it. She felt a warm hand gently touch her on the head, and the headache slowly went away. She looked up to see a swish of blonde hair and white, before everything became grey again. _"Better? Go on, Ru."_

Ruby listened to the gentle, caring voice and pushed herself up. She turned her head to face the closest picture, deciding to oblige the little voice before it decides to hit her again with a headache.

The picture featured a young man with blonde hair. He was in the middle of painting something on a canvas. His room was filled with canvases, both discarded and fresh. She couldn't quite see what it was, due to him standing in front of it. She looked at the sign on the bottom: EXNM-JA2401. Ruby didn't look too amused. "S'just a picture of a dude painting."

The young man slowly dragged the brush across the canvas. The deep red lines on the canvas formed slowly, as he almost reluctantly drew them out in practiced fashion. Ruby watched the picture move a little longer, before the painter angrily grabbed a can of paint by his feet and splashed it all over his newest work. He angrily grabbed the canvas and threw it down, his shoulders rising and lowering slowly as he took deep breaths to calm himself.

 _"_ _Our friend doesn't deserve this…"_ The gentle voice came back, causing Ruby to recoil back in pain. She stumbled and caught herself on the opposite wall, blinking away the sudden headache. She looked back at the window. Wait, window?

The painter was huddled in a corner, rocking himself back in forth. His bloodshot eyes were focused on the discarded, ruined portrait he had been working on. Through the mess, Ruby could make out a beautiful woman with brilliant red hair and a bronze headpiece. She tried to put a name to the face, but any tries simply gave her more head pain.

"Ruby, now what are you doing out here…?" She looked up at a woman with bubblegum pink hair. She had a light accent, wore a pristine white lab coat, and carried a small tablet.

"Oh. Doctor Grele…uhm…I was on the way to the medical wing…" She held up the empty bottle.

"Ah, mon cher, you're supposed to keep on top of these things. Il est malsain. Um, to not be topped off on your medicine. I can't imagine your headache right now." The doctor smiled kindly and offered her hand. "Come with me, little Rose."

Ruby nodded, "You don't need to hold my hand."

"Ah, so you say. Come along then. Quickly before Uragan makes his rounds." Ruby followed the tall doctor down the hall. Ruby kept her eyes on the floor, focusing on following doctor Grele along. "And how are you feeling today?"

"Uh…just headaches. A lot of them." She looked up briefly and saw Grele nod briefly. She wasn't sure why, but she could feel this... _air of malice_ coming from the woman.

Ruby could hear her head quietly pounding away, like a jackhammer on concrete. Every time she blinked, the environment changed. Most of the time, everything was a pristine, science lab white. But just sometimes…walls looked like they were falling apart. It wasn't everywhere. Small panels that were rusted, doors that were ajar, and she was almost _certain_ there was a leaking ceiling.

Without any further questions or conversations, the two entered an examination room. "Ah, here we are. Why don't you have a seat over there…?" Doctor Grele pointed to an empty chair by the main desk. She went to the back storage room that the examination rooms were connected to. Ruby looked around the room while waiting for the doctor.

The room was pristine and clean, much like any clinic. However, she did notice a few odd things standing out. The desk was rather messy, with notes scattered all over the place. The posters weren't the health warnings or tips that she had grew accustomed to seeing when she visited. Ruby squinted, and she could swear that the glass cabinets that hung above a counter was filled with jars of preserved organs.

Her eyes wandered from the counter to the left and looked at the…bed. The examination bed that she laid on before had turned into an interrogation table. Leather straps on the top and bottom to restrain patients. A large collection of tools on a moving mechanical arm hung limply off to the side. Above the "examination" table was a single very bright lamp. She stood up from her seat in disbelief, turning to see the "chair" she had been sitting on was designed for interrogation.

She stared slack jawed at the table. Thoughts, memories, _terror_ came flooding back to her.

Ruby _remembered_.

Being strapped down to the table. Doctor Grele standing above her with a wicked smile.

The whirling of the drills and tools. The pain. The agony. The suffering of being unable to do anything.

The screams. The cruel laughter. The sight of her friends getting tortured in front of her as she sat helpless.

The blood. Oh sweet Oum, _the blood._

 _"_ _Don't trust her. I'm tellin' you sis."_ The voice returned. This time much louder. The pounding in Ruby's head began again, this time as if it was back with a vengeance. Ruby put a hand on her head and leaned forward in pain. She felt her knees give away and she tumbled forward, landing on the cold tile floor.

 _"_ _Get up and run while you can!"_ Ruby grit her teeth and pushed herself up.

"Mh…" She heard Doctor Grele's sing-songy voice say behind her. "Donc, il est vrai. You have been ignoring your medication…oh, but for how long?" Ruby looked up at the doctor from the floor. Doctor Grele's bubblegum pink pony tail was now a grey one. Her pristine lab coat and scientist outfit had acquired a lot more red stains, and the bottom hem of her coat had frayed to nonexistence. The ragged look matched the wicked, psychopathic grin that stretched across the woman's face.

Her once beautiful features were marred with scars and lacerations; most prominently the massive scar on her lower left jaw. Ruby recognized the scar – she had given it to her when she shot the doctor in the face. The bullet had torn open her jaw.

"Y-you…you're…" The doctor clapped her hands together and hummed.

"Ah, Ça ira. Ça ira. It will be fine…let the good doctor take care of you little girl." Doctor Grele pulled out a capped syringe from her coat. "Everything will be _fine_. Oui?" Ruby backed away as she pulled the safety cap off. "Now, now, don't be naughty. Uragan and Smerch will be _very_ disappointed in you."

 _"_ _GET AWAY FROM HER!"_ The voice in her head shouted. Through the blistering pain, Ruby found a flame in her heart. She felt her latent semblance activate – speed.

She burst forward, roughly tackling the woman and slamming her into the wall with all her speed. Doctor Grele grunted and dropped the syringe. Ruby scrambled off her and picked up the syringe. With a warcry, she jammed the syringe into Grele's exposed neck, pushing the purple contents quickly into her.

Doctor Grele struggled to fight off the younger girl, being naturally weaker despite how drained Ruby was. Ruby held her still as the needle's contents worked its sick magic, and Grele's eyes emptied. Grele's arms went slack and her head lolled onto the right, her eyes drained of energy. Ruby backed off and stared at the doctor.

She quickly checked the doctor's pulse – _dead_. She just killed Grele. Ruby shakily grabbed onto the counter nearby, pulling herself up from the floor and the doctor's corpse.

 _"_ _Time to go, sis."_ Ruby rubbed her head and shuffled over to the door.

Ruby pushed it open to the hall and looked around. The "medical wing" was brightly lit, but the walls and floor were covered in debris or fluids of questionable origin. She heard a howl of anger and turned around.

At the end of the hallway, opposite of the path to her room, stood an absolutely _huge_ beowolf. The monster's piercing grey eyes bored into her soul, as it pointed at her with a wicked claw. "You, child. I should have dealt with you." The deep, gravel like voice roared. "But Marie wanted to play with you."

"You're…what _are you_?!" Ruby called out, stepping back.

 _"_ _Shut up and run, you idiot!"_ A voice cried out.

The thing didn't deign her a response, and simply charged through the hallway. The massive half man, half grimm sprinted _through_ obstacles to get to Ruby. She didn't stay still long. With another burst of speed, Ruby disappeared down the halls.

* * *

Ruby sprinted toward her room. She needed to find _something_ to fight him with. If she was going to fight at all.

 _"_ _Probably not. I don't normally say this, but…"_ A little voice in her head spoke. _"Just run!"_

The sudden pain from the voice jolted her out of her attention, causing her to slip on a puddle of water. Ruby tumbled hard and crashed in a heap. She pushed herself up slowly, looking at the pool of water caused by the broken fire suppression system above her.

Her heart sank upon eye contact with her reflection.

Gaunt. Underfed. Exhausted. Her once short hair had grown out to be roughly shoulder length, if not longer. She could see the skin pulled taut around her neck bone. Her already thin features already made her look more like a skeleton than a living being. Ruby felt ill, looking at the malnourished reflection of her own body. She only wore a loosened strait jacket with grey pants.

Ruby pushed herself up quickly, shaking the thoughts of how _sick_ she looked out of her mind. She had to keep going.

 _"_ _That's right. You're almost there. Com'on sis, I know you can do it!"_ The gentle voice cheered her on. Ruby would have been surprised by the lack of headache associated with the voice.

Would have, because she heard the monstrous roar of Uragan from the hall. She burst off toward the hall.

Ruby stopped running when she saw the security door that blocked her way to the "holding cells". She entered the ruined security station, which had miraculously stayed powered, to find a way to open the door. Ruby checked every glass interface she could find.

"Door release, door release…com'on door release!" Ruby pounded her fist against the hardened glass screens.

 _"_ _Seriously? You can't even find a big red button?"_ Ruby banged her head against the smooth security panel, the pain in the back of her head surging again as she instinctively tried to name the voice.

"Shut up and help me then!" She shouted back to no one in particular. She opened her eyes again, taking a deep breath. "Uh…oh." She stared at the big red _Release All_ button. "Does that count as helping?" Ruby wondered as she smacked the button. The claxons rang out for a few seconds, before the metal doors hissed open. Every cell door opened along with it, and bewildered inmates slowly started looking out at the hall.

Ruby sprinted by all the doors, ignoring the bewildered look of all the other random people in captivity. Ruby burst into her room and saw Velvet standing there, staring listlessly at the blank wall. "V-velvet?"

The girl blinked a few times, a small string of drool dripping from the side of her mouth. Ruby could see the bruises and welts on her exposed skin. The poor girl was bandaged heavily, and her brilliant eyes were now…just…empty.

"Ruby. It's good to see you. Have you taken your medication?" The bunny girl smiled at Ruby, although Ruby could see how…forced it was.

 _"_ _It's a trap. Get vomitboy! Run!"_ The voice called out, causing her to wince in pain.

"I…Velvet. You need to stop taking those pills!" Ruby pointed at the bottle of pills the other girl still had clutched in her hand.

"Oh? But they make me feel so joyful. Like, I didn't realize how _colorful_ your room is compared to mine! When I take it, everything feels fine."

"Velvet, really!"

"Oh…oh no…I recognize that face…" Ruby backed out into the hallway as Velvet moved closer. She leaned forward a little, gazing at Ruby with interest. "You're not on your medication at all."

"No!"

"Well, aren't you a downer…I think you know what we do to people like you here…Ruby…Get her!" Velvet pointed and shouted for the other inmates to hear. Ruby didn't waste a minute running away. She passed by and managed to dodge several people in a state similar to Velvet. They reached out and tried to grab her.

Ruby sprinted back to the security station.

"I need to get out. Find a map. Get out…" She stopped as a depressed blonde young man wandered in front of her. "W-whoa."

He turned at the sound of her voice, casting a surprised look at Ruby. "R-ruby…" His voice pained Ruby, as she tried to remember. J…J…something…John..Jon…Jaune. Then it clicked. The headache subsided upon remembering his face and name. Jaune looked a lot worse for wear, and Ruby could see the scars and bandages from hours of torture.

Ruby started tearing up. "J-jaune. Jaune…I remember you Jaune." Jaune smiled, the frown on his face disappearing.

"I'm glad. I'm…so…glad. I keep hearing and seeing things. I kept remembering things. I kept thinking I saw things. I had to keep hiding those pills in paint…had to keep pretending…" Jaune hugged Ruby tightly, and she gleefully returned the bear hug. "Those pills make you forget. Make everything go away."

"I…we…we need to run. Now." They heard the distant roar of Uragan echoing off the walls. "Right now. While he's busy with other inmates." Ruby panicked.

"Then let's go. I'll follow your lead…" Jaune shakily muttered. The two ran as fast as their frail and gaunt bodies could take them.

* * *

They had to avoid and sneak past security who were cleaning up inmates who broke out. Beds, closets, empty rooms, under desks…they used everything to escape.

They scrambled and hid in rooms as gangs of angry inmates prowled past them, intent on causing merry hell. The last security station they stopped at, to get something warmer than a straitjacket, had its camera feed still up and running. They weren't kidding when _Release All_ button literally meant release _all_. This triggered a prison wide riot. Riots, even, as they could hear fighting all around the facility.

Thankfully, both Uragan and Smerch were busy tearing into rioting inmates to chase after them. The gangs of inmates had been a curse and a blessing in that regard. Ruby frowned at the notion of having to _use_ inmates to escape.

 _"_ _Don't think of them right now. Get moving!"_ She winced as a small flash of pain hit her.

"We're almost out. Let's go." Ruby whispered after recovering from the sudden shock. They pressed on and made it out to the courtyard. Ruby and Jaune took a breather behind some cargo containers. "Alright, once we're out, we're just going to keep running." The two nodded and sprinted into the swamp.

"Any idea where to?" Jaune panted as they trudged as fast as they could through the muck.

"Uh…away?"

"Great…" Jaune muttered in exhaustion. While months of surviving and fighting had made him much better and stronger, he didn't have the speed semblance like Ruby did. He could only keep up with her, and even that was only if she was pacing herself.

"I don't see you making any better ideas." Ruby quipped back, turning her head. The prison complex behind them burned, as less…calm…inmates ran roughshod through the prison thanks to their escape.

The two pressed on through the mud and muck, trying their best to not be sucked into the quagmire. They needed to get as far away from it as they could. Cinder would be coming to inspect the prison if it spiraled so madly out of control.

* * *

They pushed on, moving deeper into the swamp. They had been fleeing for the last…hour? Two? It was hard to tell given the cloudy overcast.

Ruby panted and collapsed, having spent most of her aura moving as fast as she could without leaving Jaune behind. Jaune looked no better, and flopped helplessly onto the grassy floor. His blonde hair was splattered in sweat and mud, from having tripped a few times into some shallow quagmires.

They had stopped in some kind of a big clearing inside the swamp. Ruby sat up, looking up at the grey sky. She had no plan, no contacts, no food, no medicine…nothing. They just got up and ran.

 _"_ _Life's looking a little_ muddy _right now isn't it? Better than a volcano – that would have_ magma _day."_ Ruby winced hard from the headache _and_ the bad jokes.

Then she started to laugh. Jaune looked at her in confusion as she laughed long and hard.

It was some kind of grand comedy. They'd escaped the facility, but now they were going to die out here. Nameless, unknown, and forgotten. The swamp did a great job at hiding their tracks after all. Jaune just smiled weakly at her as she continued to laugh.

"We're so shit out of luck." Ruby uncharacteristically cursed as she finished laughing with a sigh.

"Yep." Jaune muttered, looking at the sky on his back. He was out of breath from all the running, and his body felt so _heavy_ from malnutrition and imprisonment. Good thing he kept up with basic exercises when he was able. "At least…we die free…right?"

"Hmmn…" Ruby hummed in response.

A soft drizzle began to fall. Ruby inhaled the wet air, taking in deep breaths of the refreshing, cool air. She could hear Jaune begin to snore softly on the wet grass, and her own head started to droop.

Ruby closed her eyes, listening to the environment around her. She took in the sounds of the swamp. The gentle pitter patter of rain on damp leaves. The light whistle of the wind through the branches. She actually wasn't even sure where on Remnant they were.

Then she heard the distinct roar of an engine overhead. Ruby opened her eyes and twisted her head around, searching for the source. "Jaune. I hear something flying. Get up!"

Jaune shot up immediately, and Ruby was thankful that years of being on the road had made him a light sleeper. "Where?" He shoved himself up immediately. Ruby pointed to their north.

It was flying _toward them_ , but not from the prison. "Let's get out of this clearing." They swiftly moved from the grass to the muddy sides of the clearing, taking cover beneath some branches.

The airship slowed down as it approached. She could see the markings on it, her headache flaring up. Jaune recognized it though and pat her shoulder, "It's them. It's really them! The resistance!"

Before Ruby could stop him, Jaune sprinted into the clearing and started shouting and waving his arms to the airship. The ship flew overhead, and Jaune kept trying to get its attention. Ruby ran over to join him, looking up as the airship began circling.

And to her immense surprise, the damn thing slowed down and landed. The side of the airship hissed open about twenty meters from them, and Ruby looked on in awe.

She caught a glimpse of four women in the back. A black haired faunus, a white haired maiden…and a woman with golden blonde hair. She could see two others in the airship as well. Before she could call out to them, the blonde had sprinted lightning fast and wrapped Ruby in a tight hug.

"I-I…uh…" Ruby blubbered out as the rest of them rushed over, swamping her in a big group hug.

"It took me so long. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." The blonde cried into her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Ruby." Ruby winced as her memory worked over time. Yang looked at her in terror. "Y-you remember us, right?"

"Y-yang? Weiss? Blake?" The three girls nodded, "I can't believe it. You came for me. I'm…I'm back."

"And I'm chopped liver." Jaune quipped as he stood off to the side, a big grin on his face.

"Oh you lug, get over here." Yang let go of Ruby and pulled Jaune into a bone cracking hug. Jaune let out a loud meep as Yang easily crushed him. Ren and Nora called out to them from the airship. "Okay, we can talk on the ship. Let's get outta here."

Weiss and Blake helped Jaune onto the airship, as Yang easily lifted her sister up. The impressive mechanical right arm certainly helped, as it augmented her strength further.

As they took off, Ruby looked out toward the prison she had been penned in for Oum knows how many months. Yang gently laid Ruby against the side, as Weiss moved over with a medical kit. Ren and Nora, were busy taking care of their missing leader. She could hear Nora talking a mile a minute while crying at the same time.

As Weiss bandaged her up and fixed up major injuries she could, Yang held onto her hand tightly. The tears flowed freely from the brawlers eyes. Ruby smiled at Yang softly.

"It was you." Yang looked at her little sister, lilac eyes meeting silver. "It was you I kept hearing in my head." Ruby smiled, "It was you who kept telling me to keep going. Who kept showing me what was wrong."

Ruby reached out and hugged her sister, much to Weiss' protest as it was interrupting her work. "Thank you. Thank you so much." Ruby closed her eyes and Yang kept a hold on her, refusing to let go. Ruby smiled at the inherent warmth that Yang seemed to radiate twenty-four seven.

Ruby's thoughts drifted as she slowly became drowsy, enjoying the feeling of having her sister back. Her team back.

They'd come back to free Velvet and the others.

They'd come back and bring the truth about the prison to the world.

But for right now…she was home. Team RWBY was together again. Team JNPR got their leader back.

Hope. That's what it was. Ruby felt that indomitable feeling of hope again. That little ray of sunshine in the grey.

Ruby sighed in content and drifted off into a dreamless sleep, thankful.

The nightmare is over.

* * *

 **Notes** :

Well that's the end of this. I hope you enjoyed reading either endings!


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